ITP Colloquium: Child and Adolescent Trauma through a Racial Equity Lens

The presentation will use a case study to enhance practitioners’ empathic understanding of a traumatic experience from the client’s perspective and how traumatic experiences and their aftermath can influence a family’s and/or a child’s development and life trajectory. Centering the impact of trauma on the child and family provides a foundation for assessment and treatment planning, which in turn leads to the provision of effective, individually tailored practice elements (observable therapeutic techniques) chosen and applied to address the client’s unique needs and strengths, culture, developmental level, life circumstances, and environment.

The case presentation of Jamal, a 10-year-old African American boy living with his maternal grandmother after being removed from his mother’s care due to alleged physical abuse and neglect will be introduced via handouts and video excerpts. The case highlights the significance of the therapeutic relationship in trauma practice, an understanding of the differential impacts of trauma that incorporates an anti-racist and anti-oppression lens, the role of intervention objectives, and the use of empirically supported, trauma-informed practice elements.

Specifically, the case presentation will offer participants the opportunity to identify contextual elements critical to forming a therapeutic relationship, including not only genuineness, warmth, and empathy but also the role of positionality and how potential relationship disruptions may emerge due to the power dynamics in the client-therapist relationship. The presentation will introduce the concepts of racial battle fatigue, race -based traumatic stress and stress the importance of physical and emotional safety.

Participants will have the opportunity explore the practice elements of Relaxation, Affect Regulation, Homework and Non-verbal interventions using the case of Jamal, as well as the opportunity to apply these in their own practice. Resource pages with additional exercises listed by developmental age group will be provided.

Learning Objectives

Participants will:

I. Describe the impact of exposure to sexual abuse in childhood.

II. Identify how cultural factors and processes can influence children’s and families’ experiences of trauma.

III. Apply the practice elements of relaxation, affect regulation, non-verbal interventions, and homework to work with children and families impacted by trauma.

Virginia C Strand, DSW, holds a doctorate in Social Work from Columbia University, a MSW from Catholic University School of Social Work and a BA from Macalester College. Currently a Research Professor and Co-Director of the federally funded National Initiative for Trauma Education and Workforce Development (NITEWD) at UNC School of Social Work, she has over 40 years of experience in practice, teaching, and research. Her focus in practice was on out-patient mental health treatment, working with traumatized children, youth, and families. Her research career has spanned workforce development in child welfare and more recently in children’s mental health. She has studied the use of an implementation framework to assess the organizational readiness of mental health agencies for the adoption of evidence-based trauma treatments. Results of a recent study to identify common trauma-informed practice elements in evidence-based trauma treatments informs curriculum development at the NITEWD.

Karon Johnson, MACM, MSW, LCSW, CCTP is a graduate of the UNC School of Social Work and currently serves as a clinical assistant professor and member of the practicum faculty. She teaches direct practice courses and supports students in placements related to adult mental health and substance use. She is a Doctor of Ministry student at Vanderbilt University Divinity School where she focuses on increasing mental health literacy and support among clergy and faith leaders. Her research interests include ethics, the intersection of spirituality and social work, and trauma, including grief and loss. Karon is a bilingual clinician who also maintains a private clinical practice in Durham, N.C., focusing on trauma, grief and loss, supporting individuals for whom religion or spirituality are systems of importance.